Dora Rocks and Bubble Guppies Sunny Days

The heat of summer is upon us, so are summer storms. Normally during the summer we are either swimming or enjoying the outdoors, you know when it is not 500 degrees.  Occasionally though it's either too hot to go outside or it's pouring rain, so we splurge and watch a DVD snuggled up on the couch. Nickelodeon has two new DVD's out just in time for the summer heat wave.

The first DVD is Dora the Explorer: Dora Rocks! In this DVD you follow Dora and all of her friends on a sing-along adventure.

Episode Synopses:

Dora Rocks!
When Benny forgets to send invitations to his Sing-Along Party, Dora and Boots need your help taking their microphone to his barn so they can call everyone to the rockin’ fiesta!

Baby Bongo’s Big Music Show 
Dora and Boots take Baby Bongo on a musical adventure as they race to the Big Music Show in time for Baby Bongo’s first performance.

Little Map 
Dora goes looking for treasure with Map’s nephew, Little Map, on his very first adventure.

My kids are still a fan of Dora and I still love how interactive the show is. Plus, is there really anything more adorable than watching your kids sing and dance along with one of their favorite characters?

The second DVD is Bubble Guppies: Sunny Days! This DVD has over 2 hours (6 episodes) of fun summer themed episodes.

Episode Synopses:

The Beach Ball!
If Molly’s new friend Sandy doesn’t finish her work on time, she might not be crowned Queen of the Beach at Big Beach Ball! She needs help from some hard-working Guppies for her chance to win that crown!

The Legend of Pinkfoot 
The Bubble Guppies are going on a camping trip! Grab your flashlights and gather around the campfire to make s’mores and hear about the spooky legend of Pinkfoot!

Bring on the Bugs
It’s the Big Bug Parade and the Bubble Guppies are marching with the ants and buzzing with the bees! With so many different kinds of bugs, every Guppy has their favorite. But it’s a special spider named Charlie that catches Gil and Molly’s friendship.

The Sizzling Scampinis! 
The Bubble Brothers Circus is coming to town, and all the Guppies are getting into the act! See Goby the clown, Gil the acrobat, Oona the lion tamer…just watch out for that pie! SPLAT!

Bubble Duckies! 
Welcome to the Wings Over Bubbletucky Air Show! Today the Bubble Guppies are watching a whole bunch of birds take flight! But when a family of flying ducks gets lost in a storm cloud, it’s up to Molly, Gil and a friendly little duck named Beep to fly in and rescue them!

Gup, Gup, and Away!
Pack a suitcase and hurry to the airport! Help the Bubble Guppies fly an airplane through the sky and over the clouds – just be sure to keep an eye out for airplane pirates!

I, personally, love Bubble Guppies. I think they have super fun songs and cute jokes for the kids. Aaron and Jill really seem to like it, too.

Bubble Guppies: Summer Days! will be available on 5/28 and Dora the Explorer: Dora Rocks! will be available on 6/4 at retailers near you.

Disclosure: I received both DVD's to review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and were not influenced in any way. 

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: The Quest for the Crystal Mickey

A show that has always been a constant in our home is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Clearly, these kids are a product of a Disney home, because they have always loved Mickey and the gang. They also really like Indiana Jones, so the new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: The Quest for the Crystal Mickey was a perfect fit!

Join Mickey, Minnie, Pluto and all their pals in the newest Clubhouse crusade. When the legendary Crystal Mickey goes missing, Mickey and friends go on an adventure to save the Clubhouse from losing its magic. Grab your hat, buckle your seatbelt, and get ready to embark on a thrilling adventure in “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: The Quest for the Crystal Mickey!” 

There’s no time to lose after greedy Plunderin’ Pete snatches the legendary Crystal Mickey statue from the Clubhouse. Without this sparkly statue’s magic, the Clubhouse will disappear forever! 

Can the world’s most extraordinary hero "Kansas City Mickey," get the magical statue back in time? Only with help from young viewers at home…and the right Mouseketools can Mickey journey across the Sandy Desert, brave the Rushing River and make his way through the Hidden Jungle. But watch out for Pete’s trickiest traps!

This movie is super cute and perfectly blends our love of Mickey and Indiana. I also love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse because it's interactive and gets my kids to work through problems to help solve the problem by the end of the episode. It may or may not also allow me to make dinner with minimal interruption.

Check out Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: The Quest for the Crystal Mickey on DVD May 21st. 

Disclosure: I received a copy of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: The Quest for the Crystal Mickey to review. The opinions expressed in the review are my own. 

Nickelodeon Favorites: Once Upon a Rhyme - Review

Another great Nickelodeon DVD recently arrived at my house. This time it was Nickelodeon Favorites: Once Upon a Rhyme.  A few of the kiddos favorite shows happen to be on this DVD, including Bubble Guppies, Team Umizoomi and The Fresh Beat Band.

Nickelodeon Favorites: Once Upon A Rhyme Synopses:

Bubble Guppies – Who’s Gonna Play the Big Bad Wolf
The play’s the thing when the Bubble Guppies go to see a production of “The Three Little Pigs.”  But when one of the actors can’t perform, it’s up to Deema to put on the costume and take the stage.

Team Umizoomi – Umi City Treasure Hunt
Milli, Geo and Bot are going on a pirate’s treasure hunt! The Team takes Umi Pirate Ship and follows the treasure map to fun locations, searching for three special keys to open the great math treasure of Umi City!

The Fresh Beat Band – Royal Wedding
The Fresh Beats are excited for a royal wedding happening in town. But when the Princess becomes smitten with Twist because he makes her laugh, the Fresh Beats have to find a way to reunite the Princess with her Prince!

Dora the Explorer – Dora Saves The Three Little Piggies 
Vámonos! Come on and help Dora as she returns to Fairytale Land to save the Three Little Piggies, helps Boots and Tico on their first day at school, visits Magic Land and the ancient Mayans, and celebrates her birthday in a double-length adventure! 

The Wonder Pets! – Save the Cow Who Jumped Over the Moon
Ming-Ming visits her Aunt Eleanora at the local petting zoo during a school holiday.  The Wonder Pets get a call from a pop-up book where the Young Cow is having trouble jumping over the moon. 

The Wonder Pets!  – Save the Unicorn
The Wonder Pets take a mythical journey into a storybook to save a Baby Unicorn whose horn is stuck in a magical tree trunk.   

Blue’s Clues – Little Red Riding Blue
Blue, Sprinkles, and Joe act out their own version of Little Red Riding Hood. Blue is Little Red Riding Hood, Sprinkles is Little Red's brother, Goldie is Little Red's mom, Roary is the grandma, Joe is the wolf, and the rest of the characters are the audience. Blue and Sprinkles are trying to bring Grandma, who is sick with a cold, some banana bread. They are met by a wolf who wants a piece of bread but is told to get Grandma's permission first.  

Their favorite episodes are Bubble Guppies and The Fresh Beat Band. All of the episodes are adorable and are perfect for spring showers and sick days.  

You can pick up Nickelodeon Favorites: Once Upon a Rhyme in stores now. 

Disclosure: I was given a copy of Nickelodeon Favorites: Once Upon a Rhyme for review. The opinions expressed are my own.

We Bought A Zoo

No, we did not buy a zoo, but Scott and I did watch the movie We Bought a Zoo. The film is based on a novel which is actually based on a true story.

Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon) is a Los Angeles newspaper columnist and adventure writer who, as a single father, faces the challenges of raising his two young children. Hoping that a fresh start and a new life will restore their family spirit, Mee quits his job and buys an old rural house outside the city with a unique bonus feature: a zoo named the Rosemoor Animal Park, where dozens of animals reside under the care of head zookeeper Kelly Foster (Scarlett Johansson) and her dedicated team. With no experience, limited time and a shoestring budget, Mee sets out with the support of his family and the local community to reopen the zoo. Now, Benjamin is no longer reporting an adventure story; he’s living it in his own backyard.

I didn't really know much about the film before watching it, and was pleasantly surprised. The film is really heartwarming and you almost instantly fall in love with Damon and his situation. While watching the film I Googled the actual Benjamin Mee and his story. The actual zoo, Dartmoor Zoological Park, is in the UK. The location was changed to LA and a few other details were changed, but for the most part it stays true to the story.

I think the most amazing aspect of this film is that it actually happened. If you look at the film that way it brings a whole new feeling to it. Knowing that there is a real Benjamin Mee that went through this entire process to create a fresh start for his family is nothing short of amazing.

All in all, I really enjoyed the film. We Bought a Zoo is available on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital Download. The Blu-ray is loaded with over 2½ hours of special features including 20 deleted and extended scenes, a gag reel, four behind-the-scenes featurettes, commentary with Director Cameron Crowe, star J.B. Smoove (The Sitter, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”) and Editor Mark Livolsi, and more. The film also features an English Family Friendly Audio Track that earned the Dove Seal of Approval. The Blu-ray and DVD will be available for an average retail price of $24.99 and $19.99 respectively.

Disclosure: I received a promotional copy of the film for review from Twentieth Century Fox. This is no way shaped my opinion, and the views expressed are my own.

The Descendants

I was lucky enough to get a copy of The Descendants on DVD before it was released today. Scott and I hadn't been able to make it to the theater to see this movie, and we were really looking forward to seeing it.

All I really knew about this film was that super hunky George Clooney and Shailene Woodley were in it, and that it was set in Hawaii. Here's what the movie is about:

Based on the best-selling novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings and set in Hawaii, THE DESCENDANTS is a sometimes humorous, sometimes tragic journey for Matt King (George Clooney) an indifferent husband and father of two girls, who is forced to re-examine his past and embrace his future when his wife suffers a boating accident off of Waikiki. The event leads to a rapprochement with his young daughters while Matt wrestles with a decision to sell the family’s land handed down from Hawaiian royalty and missionaries.

This by no means is a heart warming film about family love. It has its light moments, but it's dark and quite honestly, real. It shows the emotions that Matt King goes through as he realizes he knows absolutely nothing about his family. It's not hard to believe that the sequence of events could actually happen to someone in their everyday life. I really want to read the book now to see if there is more in there (which I'm sure there is).

The Descendants is out today on Blu-Ray, DVD, and Blu-Ray-DVD Combo.

Disclosure: I received a copy of The Descendants from 20th Century Fox for the purpose of review. This in no way shaped my opinion of the movie. The thoughts expressed above are my own.